The best pills for headaches - Neurology and neurosurgery

09/15/2021 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs or NSAIDs) are widely used against inflammatory processes in the body. Medicines are sold in tablet form, capsules, and dosage forms for external use. They not only have an anti-inflammatory effect, but also reduce temperature and also relieve pain.

The drugs have contraindications and side effects, so the doctor must select them, taking into account the individual characteristics and condition of the patient.

Top 9 drugs for headaches depending on its cause.

June 1, 2021
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Content

Why does my head hurt?
Groups of drugs for headaches
Analgesics
Antispasmodics
Vasoconstrictor drugs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
The most effective pills for headaches
Aspirin
Paracetamol
Citramon
Tempalgin
Pentalgin
Spazgan
Nurofen
No-Shpa

There is probably not a single person who has not experienced a headache at least once in his life. Moreover, this also applies to absolutely healthy people. Headache varies in severity, often impairing quality of life and reducing performance. Therefore, there are head pills in every home medicine cabinet.

But you need to understand that there is no universal remedy for headaches, because there are about 40 causes that cause them. And only a doctor can determine exactly why you have a headache. If you need to quickly relieve pain, we suggest you at least figure out which headache medication you need to take in a particular case.

Read also How to treat migraine: the best drugs Top 5 best drugs against migraine

For children

Children often suffer from headaches, which, as in adults, can be caused by various factors: infectious and somatic diseases, overwork, stress, physical and emotional stress.

To eliminate headaches in children, ibuprofen-based drugs are most often used. There are many trade names, their main difference from adult medications is the reduced dosage, which is 100 mg per tablet.

Young children should be offered headache medications in suspension form, including:

A moment for children. It is prescribed to children over one year old. The dosage of ibuprofen is 200 mg [22].
Nurofen for children 100 ml. Price 220 rubles. The drug is approved for use by children from 3 months [23].
A moment for kids. It is used in the treatment of children from 3 months to 9 years. Dosage: 100 mg ibuprofen [24].

Tablet drugs:

Spasmalgon. Price 180 rubles. Allowed for use from 6 years of age.
Spazgan. Price 160 rubles. Can be taken from 5 years of age.
No-shpa. The price is 110 rubles for her. Allowed for use from 6 years of age.
Nurofen. Price 160 rubles. A dosage of 200 mg can be offered to children over 6 years of age, and a dosage of 400 mg to children over 12 years of age.

Before taking any drug, you should obtain medical advice. This is especially true for young children.

Why does my head hurt?

The characteristics of headaches can vary in intensity, location, nature of pain, duration, etc. Among the causes of headaches

such:

osteochondrosis of the cervical spine or cerebral vascular spasms;
migraine, vascular problems, otitis media, glaucoma and other problems can be suspected by a throbbing headache;
if the headache lasts for a long time, meningitis, encephalitis, tuberculosis and serious damage to the nervous system are possible.

Regarding the location of the headache,

then it is also different for each problem:

forehead and eyebrow area: migraine, some eye diseases, inflammation of the sinuses, pneumonia;
occipital region: neuralgia of the occipital nerve, spasm of the muscles of the head and neck, osteochondrosis, hypertension;
forehead and temples: sinusitis, pneumonia, sore throat, flu, increased intracranial pressure;
parietal region: migraine, muscle spasms of the head and neck, tumor processes.

In addition to various diseases, headaches can be caused by weather dependence, stressful situations, lack of sleep, and bad habits. In women, headaches often depend on the menstrual cycle. Men usually have headaches due to overwork, childhood headaches are associated with ARVI, and in old age headaches are caused by problems with the heart and blood vessels.

In any case, uncontrolled use of medications is unacceptable for headaches. If you have frequent headaches, be sure to consult a doctor and get tested to determine the cause.

Aspirin

The active ingredient in Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid. We are sure that this drug is in every home medicine cabinet. “Aspirin” can be taken for inflammatory diseases, problems with cerebral circulation, hangover syndrome, to thin the blood (as a prevention of thrombosis). Aspirin is often prescribed in the complex treatment of vascular diseases. Contraindications include bleeding disorders, stomach and intestinal ulcers, etc.

Aspirin

Bayer Schering Pharma (Bayer), Germany

The drug Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Paracetamol

This remedy is suitable for eliminating headaches of various etiologies and is well tolerated by the body. Paracetamol is an affordable and at the same time very effective antipyretic. An antipyretic drug for children, Panadol, is produced based on paracetamol. Paracetamol for headaches can be taken once, or up to four times a day. The duration of treatment should not exceed five days to prevent overdose.

Paracetamol MS

Medisorb, Russia

Paracetamol is used for: relieving moderate or mild pain (headache, toothache, migraine, sore throat, neuralgia, myalgia);
reducing elevated body temperature during colds and other infectious and inflammatory diseases. Paracetamol is intended for symptomatic therapy, reducing pain and inflammation at the time of use, does not affect the progression of the disease. from 4

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Effective painkillers

The best medicine for migraine can only be selected after a medical examination and consultation with a doctor, because cephalalgia can be a sign of more than 50 different diseases. If the exact cause cannot be established, the pharmacological drug is selected empirically.

List of the most effective pharmacological agents:

Medicine	Active substance	Manufacturer	average cost
Citramon	Acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, caffeine	Pharmstandard-Leksredstva LLC, Russia	5-30 rubles
Moment	Ibuprofen	Berlin-Chemie (Germany)	60-150 rubles
No-Shpa	Drotaverine	Chinoin Pharmaceutical and Chemical Works Co. (Hungary)	170-250 rubles
Paracetamol	Paracetamol	LLC Dalkhimfarm, Russia	4-35 rubles
Analgin	Metamizole sodium	Pharmstandard-Leksredstva LLC, Russia	7-25 rubles
Spasmalgon	Metamizole sodium	Balkanpharma-Dupnitza (Bulgaria)	80-280 rubles
Pentalgin	Drotaverine, caffeine, paracetamol	Pharmstandard-Leksredstva LLC, Russia	80-160 rubles
Ketorol	Ketorolac	Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (India)	40-80 rubles

When choosing a pain medication, you must take into account existing contraindications and age restrictions, possible side effects, the safety of the drug and the possibility of taking it for a long time.

Please note that some antispasmodics have a sedative effect and can cause drowsiness and impaired concentration.

Such pharmacological drugs should not be taken by people who drive vehicles or engage in potentially hazardous activities.

Dizziness is not a separate disease, but a symptom inherent in a specific disorder in the body. More often, provoking pathologies develop in older people. Read more in the article: “dizzy, what to do at home.”

Citramon against headaches

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Citramon is one of the most common, popular and inexpensive analgesic drugs. It contains acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol, which have a rapid antispasmodic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect. The medication contains caffeine, which improves the tone of brain capillaries and accelerates blood circulation.

For severe headaches and migraine attacks, Citramon can be taken 1-2 tablets up to 3-4 times a day. The permissible daily dosage is 7-8 tablets. Therapy should not last longer than 7-10 days, since Citramon is not intended for long-term use.

Citramon should not be taken for stomach or intestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal ulcers, coronary heart disease, kidney pathologies and arterial hypertension, sleep disorders and hyperexcitability. Citramon is prohibited for adolescents under 15 years of age, pregnant and lactating women.

Citramon can cause negative reactions, including kidney failure, headache, attacks of nausea, stomach cramps, anemia, sleep disturbances, and increased excitability. With prolonged use, the drug can cause addiction, and after discontinuation, it can cause drug-induced cephalalgia.

Mig for migraine treatment

Mig is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug based on ibuprofen, characterized by a rapid analgesic and antipyretic effect. The medicine is most effective in eliminating inflammatory headaches.

Improvement occurs within 12-15 minutes after taking the medicine. The maximum therapeutic effect is observed 1.5-2 hours after taking the tablet and lasts up to 20-24 hours.

For Mig cephalgia, it is recommended to take 1 tablet 4 times a day. For severe migraine attacks, the dosage can be increased to 2 tablets, taken three times a day. For diseases of the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system, the dosage is reduced to 1-2 tablets per day.

Mig has several contraindications for use:

blood clotting pathologies;
internal bleeding;
peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum;
children under 12 years of age;
all trimesters of pregnancy and breastfeeding;
individual intolerance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Taking the drug may be accompanied by such negative phenomena as tachycardia, a sharp increase in blood pressure, nausea, bloating, vomiting, bowel disorders or allergic skin rashes.

A moment can cause headaches, deterioration of sleep and psycho-emotional state - depression, increased irritability and anxiety.

Application of No-Shpa

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No-Shpa is one of the most common and effective painkillers based on drotaverine. Its main advantage is its rapid action - the active substance is quickly absorbed by the mucous membranes of the digestive system, affecting smooth muscles and effectively eliminating spasms.

Headache decreases within 10-15 minutes after taking the tablet, the maximum therapeutic effect is observed after 25-30 minutes. The medicine has a long-lasting analgesic effect.

No-Shpa is used to eliminate cephalgia in adults of various origins, except for migraine - in this case the medicine will not bring any result.

No-Spa copes well with headaches caused by psychological fatigue, stress, and muscle strain. The drug extremely rarely causes side effects and has no contraindications for use other than individual intolerance to drotaverine. No-Shpu is allowed to be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Treatment with Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a medicine with antipyretic and analgesic effects, which quickly stops an attack of cephalgia, regardless of its origin. Paracetamol has a quick action, but it must be borne in mind that it only relieves symptoms and does not affect the causes of the spasm.

For cephalgia, Paracetamol is taken 3-4 times a day, 1 tablet. The maximum permissible daily dosage is 8 tablets. When taking the drug, you need to consider its dosage - 200, 325 or 500 mg. The maximum permissible dose should not exceed 4 g of Paracetamol per day.

Paracetamol has several contraindications for use - severe kidney and liver diseases, chronic alcoholism, anemia, leukopenia, blood clotting pathologies. The pharmacological drug can be taken by children over 12 years of age, as well as by women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Long-term use of Paracetamol may be accompanied by symptoms of allergic intolerance - skin redness, rashes, itching or hives. In the most severe cases, angioedema may develop.

Analgin for headaches

Analgin is an inexpensive and effective analgesic based on metamizole sodium, which belongs to the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The drug quickly relieves an attack of pain and has a mild anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect.

For cephalgia, Analgin is taken 1-2 tablets 3-4 times throughout the day. The maximum allowable dose for an adult is 8 tablets. The dosage is most often selected individually and depends on the severity of the disease.

Contraindications to the use of Analgin:

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low blood pressure;
aspirin-induced bronchial asthma;
disorders of the hematopoietic system;
presence of hemolytic anemia;
children under 10 years of age;
individual intolerance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Taking Analgin may be accompanied by side effects such as decreased blood pressure, thrombocytopenia, the development of interstitial nephritis and allergic symptoms.

Spasmalgon for headaches

Spasmalgon is an effective painkiller with complex action, often used for cephalalgia. It quickly relieves pain, eliminates inflammation and promotes relaxation of smooth muscles.

Spasmalgon is most effective for cramping pain. The medicine can be taken 2-3 times a day, 1-2 tablets. The maximum permissible daily dosage is 6 tablets, and the course of treatment should not exceed 5 days.

Spazmalgon has a number of contraindications for use:

disorders of bone marrow hematopoiesis;
angina pectoris;
heart failure;
liver and kidney diseases;
glaucoma;
prostate hyperplasia;
all trimesters of pregnancy;
breast-feeding;
children under 6 years of age;
allergic intolerance to the drug;
tendency to bronchospasms;
Prescribed with caution in patients with low blood pressure.

In some cases, Spazmalgon can cause negative reactions in the form of abdominal or head pain, increased sweating, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, a constant feeling of dry mouth and thirst.

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Spazmalgon cannot be combined with alcohol, including the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol. Therefore, these tablets should not be taken to relieve headaches during a hangover.

Application of Pentalgin

Pentalgin is a fast-acting pain reliever that allows you to quickly get rid of an attack of severe headaches. The composition of the pharmacological agent includes caffeine, drotaverine and paracetamol, which act directly on nerve points, preventing the formation of pain signals.

Pentalgin has antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects. An attack of cephalalgia is stopped within 10-15 minutes after taking the tablet.

It is recommended to take the drug 1 tablet 1-3 times a day for 3-5 days.

The maximum permissible daily dose of Petnalgin is 4 tablets.

Pentalgin has a large number of contraindications for use - diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, kidney and liver failure, internal bleeding, hypertension, bronchial asthma, pathologies of the hematopoietic system and age under 18 years.

Taking Pentalgin often leads to such undesirable reactions as skin rashes, tachycardia, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and stool upset. In some cases, increased headaches, dizziness, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression may occur.

Treatment of headaches with Ketorol

Ketorol is a drug with an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Widely used to relieve cephalalgia of varying degrees of intensity and origin. The medication effectively relieves pain, but does not affect the causes and progression of the disease.

Ketorol is prohibited from taking for gastric or duodenal ulcers, intestinal diseases and bleeding, disorders of the hematopoietic system, heart failure, kidney and liver diseases. Ketoral tablets are taken 1 piece up to 4 times a day; exceeding the maximum allowable dosage (4 tablets) is prohibited.

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Ketorol should not be used to treat children and adolescents under 18 years of age, as well as women during all trimesters of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Possible side effects of Ketoral include increased cephalalgia, attacks of dizziness, bloating, nausea, vomiting, upset bowel movements, drowsiness, swelling of the face and body, and weight gain.

Citramon

Citramon is one of the most frequently purchased and affordable headache medications. Take it if the headache is not severe (against the background of elevated temperature or inflammatory processes). "Citramon" improves vascular tone and stimulates blood circulation. These headache tablets contain caffeine, aspirin and paracetamol, that is, Citramon has a complex effect. But you should not take this drug for a long time so that “side effects” do not develop. The daily dose is a maximum of 8 tablets (no more than three days).

Citramon

JSC "Tatkhimfarmpreparaty", Russia; Anzhero-Sudzhensky Chemical and Pharmaceutical Plant, Russia; Pharmstandard-Leksredstva OJSC, Russia; PrJSC Pharmaceutical Company “DARNITSA”, Ukraine

The drug Citramon is an analgesic drug that has analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects.
The components that make up the drug enhance each other's effects. from 4

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Tempalgin

A complex drug for headaches with a sedative effect. Consider this nuance if your work involves increased concentration. "Tempalgin" is good for relieving headaches of various types. These headache pills can be taken for headaches of varying severity. You can take no more than three Tempalgin tablets per day (if there is persistent pain). The duration of headache treatment should not exceed five days.

Tempalgin

Sopharma, Bulgaria

- moderate or mild pain syndrome (including headache, migraine, toothache, neuralgia, radicular syndrome, myalgia, arthralgia, algodismenorrhea), especially in patients with increased nervous excitability;
- mild pain of visceral origin (including renal, hepatic, intestinal colic) in combination with antispasmodic therapy; — pain syndrome after surgical and diagnostic interventions (as an adjuvant); - increased body temperature during colds and other infectious and inflammatory diseases. from 89

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Simple analgesic

Their effectiveness has been proven in the most reliable type of study5 - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Only with the help of such studies is it possible to form an evidence base on the effectiveness and safety of the drug. The European Federation of Neurological Societies recommends the following substances for the treatment of headaches:

A drug	Dose
ASK	1000 mg
Ibuprofen	200-800
Paracetamol	1000
Naproxen	500-1000
Diclofenac	50-100
Metamizole	1000
Tolfenamic acid	200
Phenazone	1000

Combined analgesics

They consist of two or more substances and are used when the pain is severe and a simple analgesic does not cope.

Many combination analgesics contain barbiturates, codeine and caffeine, which enhance the effect of the simple analgesic. However, it has been proven that they can cause overuse headaches, i.e. headaches caused by excessive drug intake.

Pentalgin

"Pentalgin" is also a complex medicine that has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antipyretic effects. "Pentalgin" slows down the production of hormones that cause pain. Usually, taking one tablet is enough to relieve a headache. It is recommended not to exceed a dose of three Pentalgin tablets per day; you can be treated with this drug for no more than five days.

Pentalgin

OJSC Pharmstandard-Leksredstva, Russia

— pain syndrome of various origins, incl.
pain in joints, muscles, radiculitis, algodismenorrhea, neuralgia, toothache, headache (including those caused by cerebral vasospasm); — pain syndrome associated with spasm of smooth muscles, incl. for chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, postcholecystectomy syndrome, renal colic; — post-traumatic and postoperative pain syndrome, incl. accompanied by inflammation; - colds accompanied by febrile syndrome (as symptomatic therapy). from 57

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Spazgan

These head tablets relieve vasospasm, relieve inflammation and relieve pain. The effect of taking the drug occurs quickly and usually lasts 4-8 hours. And although Spazgan can be bought without a prescription and is indicated for many types of pain, it is still advisable to consult a doctor before taking it. This headache medication is usually taken as a one-time dose. If you need a different application regimen, be sure to read the instructions to avoid side effects.

Spazgan

Wockhardt, India

Mild or moderate pain syndrome due to spasms of the smooth muscles of internal organs - renal and hepatic colic, spastic pain along the intestines, algodismenorrhea.
Can be used for short-term symptomatic treatment of joint pain, neuralgia, sciatica, myalgia. As an adjuvant it can be used to reduce pain after surgical and diagnostic interventions. If necessary, the drug can be used to reduce elevated body temperature during colds and infectious and inflammatory diseases. from 97

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The first table excludes

Thus, it is important for the pharmacist to exclude hypertension, which requires mandatory consultation with a doctor. To do this, you need to ask a few questions.

Questions about the nature of GB:
Are there any accompanying symptoms?
What causes headache attacks?

The presence of an intense headache, spreading to half of the head, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, or a typical aura, may indicate a migraine. Severe (even unbearable) unilateral pain in the temple, orbit, or mixed localization, accompanied by a feeling of anxiety and/or autonomic symptoms on the side of pain, indicates the presence of cluster headache. In both cases, the pain syndrome is poorly controlled by conventional analgesics and requires the prescription of specific therapy by a doctor. Headache accompanied by severe pain in the eyes and blurred vision requires exclusion of glaucoma.

Questions about HD treatment:
With what effect?

Long-term previous use of analgesics allows one to suspect the development of excessive hypertension, which also requires consultation with a neurologist.

Presence of warning symptoms requiring mandatory medical attention:
Headache with an atypical aura lasting more than an hour or motor weakness is characteristic of a cerebrovascular accident - transient ischemic attack or stroke, as well as the presence of an aura without headache, although there was previously migraine with aura.
An aura that first appears in a patient taking combined oral contraceptives may indicate a risk of stroke.
Increasing headache that gets worse over several weeks or more, or headache that gets worse with changes in posture, coughing, sneezing, or straining, may indicate the presence of a space-occupying intracranial formation.
Also requires consultation with a neurologist in headaches accompanied by focal neurological symptoms (shaky gait, unilateral and bilateral paralysis, etc.), and headaches with fever of unknown origin.
A previous fall or head injury is a reason to see a doctor to rule out a TBI.

Nurofen

A combined drug with anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects. Nurofen is a good pain reliever. If you have a migraine, and you don’t have the usual medications prescribed by a neurologist at hand, you can take Nurofen once. You can take no more than four tablets per day, with breaks between each dose of at least four hours. It is not advisable to take Nurofen for more than three days.

Nurofen Forte

Boots UK, UK

Headache;
migraine; toothache; algodismenorrhea; neuralgia; backache; myalgia; rheumatic pains; fever with influenza and ARVI. from 9

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No-Shpa

Typically, No-Shpu is prescribed for tension headaches (stress, emotional or physical stress). This type of headache is usually mild and without throbbing. “No-Spa” is an antispasmodic that relaxes blood vessels and improves blood circulation. The therapeutic effect occurs literally 15 minutes after taking the tablet. You can take no more than two tablets at a time (no more than 8 per day). Moreover, you cannot take No-Shpu on your own for more than two days unless prescribed by a doctor.

No-shpa

During pregnancy

Self-administration of any drug during pregnancy is strictly prohibited. Even if it is familiar, the woman needs to consult with a specialist, since most medications are contraindicated during the gestational period.

No-spa is the only drug that is not contraindicated during pregnancy. The drug has undergone numerous trials, in which its teratogenic and embryotoxic effect was not confirmed. Drotaverine has no effect on the course of pregnancy [25].

However, it should be taken with caution, according to a doctor’s indications, and in the minimum effective dosage.

No-shpu is not prescribed when breastfeeding, since there are no studies on the effect of the drug on the health of infants.